Noam Chomsky urges ESU students to unite for change

In a country where the common attitude seems to be "every man for himself," students need to band together to fight for their education among other public programs, said Noam Chomsky as he addressed more than 800 students at East Stroudsburg University on Wednesday.

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By CHRISTINA TATU

poconorecord.com

By CHRISTINA TATU

Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By CHRISTINA TATU
Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

In a country where the common attitude seems to be "every man for himself," students need to band together to fight for their education among other public programs, said Noam Chomsky as he addressed more than 800 students at East Stroudsburg University on Wednesday.

The famous American linguist and philosopher is "the most distinguished speaker we have ever welcomed on campus," said Peter Hawkes, dean of ESU's college of arts and sciences, before Chomsky took the stage at the Abeloff Center for the Performing Arts.

Chomsky, who Hawkes said has published "countless articles and more than 100 books during his last eight decades," has been a critic of concentrated power, particularly that of large corporations, which can have negative impacts on democracy.

Efforts to privatize important social safety nets for corporate profit often have a negative impact on society, he said. Studies show the United States ranks 27 out of 31 countries when it comes to social welfare, barely above Mexico, Chomsky said.

That figure reveals a "systemic issue" in the United States, one of the richest countries in the world.

"Of all the industrialized societies, the United States is the only one where the health care system is privatized and pretty much unregulated," he said.

In addition to being "inefficient and costly," thousands of people end up dying because they can't afford health care, he said.

Society, or the common good, as Chomsky called it, encourages people to focus on themselves and their own success. Programs such as public education and Social Security, which are now under attack, are based on a different perception.

"They are based on the perception that we should care about other people. "» That's a dangerous perception. It means you should be a human being and not a pathological creature," Chomsky said.

Major universities are now being virtually privatized so that only the rich can afford to attend, he said. "Pretty soon only the community colleges will be publicly funded, and even they are under attack."

Quoting a council of trustee member from New York University, Chomsky said there is a growing shift from the attitude that "we as a nation benefit from higher education, to those who get the education are the only ones to benefit, so they should foot the bill."

Because of this, the state provides less and less money toward education, he said.

"If you want to privatize something, first defund it so it doesn't work well. Then people will start to get upset," Chomsky said.

The state once funded about 70 percent of ESU's budget, but that is now only about 20 percent of the budget, said ESU Philosophy Professor Peter Pruim.

Students were able to write their questions on note cards, which Pruim read to Chomsky.

"What can an ordinary person do to help?" was one of the popular questions.

"Everyone is an ordinary person," Chomsky said. "An individual might not accomplish a lot, but working together you can change a lot. In fact, a lot has been changed."

Chomsky referenced the social movements of the 1960s.

"Looking around the auditorium, there are at least 50 percent women. "»That certainly wasn't the case 50 years ago," he said.

The success of such social and political movements began with a few small groups who banded together to fight for what they believed in and they have created a lasting impact on society, Chomsky said.

Prior to speaking at ESU, Chomsky visited Lehigh University, where he gave a presentation on "Prospects for Peace in the Middle East" Tuesday evening.

Abeloff Performing Arts Center seats 880 people, and there were at least 100 standing in the aisles prior to Wednesday's presentation. Those who couldn't find a seat were asked to leave because university officials said the crowding posed a fire hazard.